2nd Grade
English Language Arts
The priority of 2nd grade reading instruction is to help students move from decoding words to reading to understand. As students grow as readers they can see that reading is a tool to the world around them. The goal in 2nd grade is to help them learn how to become fluent readers that can read for information, discovery, and pleasure. Students will dive into the Fountas and Pinnell curriculum and focus on asking and answering questions about their reading and will spend a great deal of time responding to their reading through writing. In writing, we use the Schoolwide writing and grammar units and the focus will be on informational writing and using nonfiction text features to identify and sort information. Students will also spend time learning opinion writing in which students learn how to state their claim and back up their claim with evidence.
Math
This year we will be developing a deeper understanding of numbers. We will learn what makes a good mathematician and how we use math in our every day lives. A good chunk of our time will be developing fact fluency in both addition and subtraction. Students will also spend a great deal of time learning how to add and subtract 2 and 3 digit numbers with and without regrouping. Our main priority in 2nd grade math is to help students conceptually understand addition and subtraction and make better sense of numbers. Students will also be exposed to fractions, shapes, and multiplication.
Science
What is a scientist? Students will be asking lots of questions during science this year. We have several units including matter and energy, plants and animals, weather and water works. Our main focus will be inquiry-or how can we ask questions so we learn more? We will also spend a lot of time exploring through STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) where students will work, with very little direction, towards solving a problem! Students will explore the world around them using Mystery Science, an interactive website that brings science to life!
Social Studies
The focus of our year in social studies will be learning what it means to be a good citizen. What types of citizens do we want to have in our future? Students will explore the reasoning behind the rules and laws we have and what would happen if we had no rules or laws! They will also research examples of good citizens as well as bad ones! We will discuss the importance of geography in how a city or town works and what it takes to run a successful business. Later in the year, they will work collaboratively to create their own city or town based on their knowledge. Students will also discuss how different cultures interact and how traditions often develop from family cultures.